Hi my beautiful friends!
We were in Cali for an entrepreneurship event called Master Mind Talks, created and hosted by our good friend Jayson Gaignard in Napa Valley. We decided to arrive to Cali a few days earlier to spend a few days in one of our fave cities - San Francisco.
San Francisco has a very special place in my heart. It’s the first trip Alex and I took as a couple many years ago. I was a bit nervous about spending a whole week together, alone…haha! We had such a blast though! It was so fun discovering a new city together. We’ve gone back to SF many times after. At one point we even considered moving there. Yet, as you guys know we decided to move to London. Laid back European lifestyle is what we are after.
Not much has changed in San Francisco, since we last visited a couple of years ago. The coast and landscape is just as breathtaking as I remember.
Below is a little guide to San Fran based on our last trip:
- Pacific Catch - is our favorite casual dining restaurant in San Fran, located in a really cool neighborhood - Marina. There are a lot of other great restaurants, cafes and shops in that area. Pacific Catch however is a very special place. It’s the restaurant where I tried roasted artichokes for the first time…they only serve them when artichokes are in season, usually April, May and June. They also have fresh asian fusion seafood dishes. We make sure to go to Pacific Catch at least once when we are in SF.
- Sidewalk Cafe is a smoothie joint that we discovered as we were craving some green smoothies. Upon exploring their menu, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they also serve Acai Bolws. So, instead of a green smoothie, I got an acai bowl, haha! It was possibly the best acai bowl I have tried so far (even better than the ones we’ve had in Rio)
- Golden Gate Beach is somewhere we make sure to visit when we are in SF. It’s got great views of the Golden Gate Bridge (if the weather is clear), hence it is a great spot to take some pictures. I also just love digging my feet in the warm sand and people watching. There are people surfing, tanning, super cute dogs with very friendly dog owners and tourists taking tons of pictures.
- Palace of Fine Arts is peaceful and romantic. When we need a little break from walking and exploring SF, we head there to just relax and warm up in the sun. The architecture is stunning, hence all the wedding photoshoots we usually witness while there.
- Carmel by the sea - is a cute little town only 2.5 hours away from San Fran. We rented a car and drove there early in the morning. The main attraction in town is the beautiful, long white sand beach. We’ve been to Carmel several times and it’s definitely one of the most magical places in the West Coast.
- Lamp Lighter Inn is the cute bed and breakfast in Carmel where my cat friend Shadow lives. We stayed there once a few years ago when we visited Carmel for the first time. It’s a great place to stay at if you are ever in Carmel and if you get lucky Shadow might choose to keep you company at night in your room.
- Highway 1 - we have driven on this scenic highway many times before. This was the fist time however that it was a completely clear blue skies kind of day. So, we got super lucky to enjoy and take in all the incredible views of the west coast! :)
- Sierra Mar is the restaurant we randomly discovered on Open Table app, as we were looking for a spot with a view to have lunch at while driving on Highway 1. Oh man, the views were absolutely breathtaking. I definitely recommend visiting this restaurant if you are ever doing the Highway 1 drive.
Sierra Mar restaurant
What are some of your favorite spots in San Fran or Big Sur area? :) I’d love to know for our next trip to Cali.
xx